Systems and methods for identifying synthetic identities associated with network communications

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for use in identifying synthetic identities. One exemplary method includes receiving a request from a relying party to assess validity of an identity indicated by a user in a network communication between the user and the relying party, where the request includes: identity data associated with the identity indicated by the user, feature data associated with submission of the network communication by the user to the relying party, and a device ID for a communication device associated with the user and used to submit the network communication. The method then includes calculating an assessment metric representative of the validity of the identity indicated by the user based on at least one score derived from the identity data, the feature data, and the device ID, and transmitting the assessment metric to the relying party.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods foridentifying synthetic identities associated with network communicationsand, in particular, to systems and methods for use in identifyingidentities as synthetic identities based on data associated with theidentities and presentment of the identities in the networkcommunications, prior to or in connection with use of the identities(identified as synthetic identifies) for illicit purposes.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

People are known to be associated with identities, whereby businessesinteracting with the people often seek to verify the identities of thepeople in connection with or prior to the interactions. For example,banking institutions are often required to know their customers (i.e.,satisfy KYC requirements), whereby the banking institutions will verifythe identities of the customers prior to opening accounts for thecustomers or extending loans or credit to the customers.

In connection with specific interactions between users and businesses,especially financial interactions, the users may present falseidentities or seek to impersonate other users, in order to defraud theother users and/or the businesses. However, in such interactions, thebusinesses often rely on specific procedures, checks and validations forverifying the users and their identities (as real or fake) to avoid suchfraudulent interactions associated with such false identities. Thesespecific procedures, checks and validations often include verifyingphysical documents associated with the presented identities, when theusers are present at the businesses, and further still relying ofdigital identity services and government databases for verification whenthe users are not present (or even when the users are present at thebusinesses).

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system of the present disclosuresuitable for use in identifying synthetic identities presented by usersin connection with network communications;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computing device that may be used in theexemplary system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 includes a flow diagram of an exemplary method, which may beimplemented in connection with the system of FIG. 1, for determining anassessment metric for an identity of a user, where the assessment metricis indicative of a likelihood that the identity presented by the user isa synthetic identity.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings. The description and specific examplesincluded herein are intended for purposes of illustration only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Users often apply for accounts or otherwise interact with entities forone or more purposes, whereby the entities rely on identities submittedby the users in efforts to verify the users. For example, John Smith maypresent a driver's license, a social security card, or a passport to anentity as evidence of his identity, in connection with opening anaccount (or requesting other services or products) at the entity. Aspart of evaluating John Smith's identity, the entity may rely on variousfactors of his identity, such as historical attributes, to assess thetrustworthiness of the identity, whereby the identity may be determinedto be real or fake based on such attributes. Synthetic identities aredifferent, and may be used by fraudulent users in connection withnetwork communications, whereby the synthetic identities includecombinations of one or more real identity attributes and one or morefictitious or fabricated identity attributes. An exemplary syntheticidentity may include John Smith's correct social security number, but afake name and fake mailing address unassociated with John Smith. What'smore, the synthetic identities may be built over time, such as over aperiod of weeks, months or even years, using the real identityattributes, whereby the apparent longevity of the synthetic identitymakes it problematic for the entities interacting with the users toidentify the identity as synthetic or fraudulent (e.g., when using suchconventional historical evaluations of the identities, etc.).

Uniquely, the systems and methods herein permit identification ofsynthetic identities based on various aspects of the syntheticidentities and presentment of the same. In particular, when a userpresents an identity to a relying party in connection with a networkcommunication to the relying party (e.g., in connection with an onlineapplication for an account, etc.), certain data is gathered about theapplication process by the relying party (e.g., feature data, etc.) andis provided, along with identity data received from the user, in arequest from the relying party to an identity network. The identitynetwork, in turn, generates an assessment metric for the user and thepresented identity, which is indicative of a likelihood that theidentity is a synthetic identity (or not). Specifically, as providedherein, the assessment metric is the aggregate of one or more of adevice behavior score, a user profile score, a fraud profile score,and/or an exposure score. The identity network then transmits, inresponse to the request, the assessment metric for the identity to therelying party, whereupon the relying party is able to assess theidentity of the user based on the metric. In this manner, the relyingparty is provided with an assessment of the identity presented by theuser sufficient to either assume the risk of interacting with the user,or to terminate the interaction or require further verification of theuser's identity.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 in which one or more aspectsof the present disclosure may be implemented. Although the system 100 ispresented in one arrangement, other embodiments may include the parts ofthe system 100 (or other parts) arranged otherwise depending on, forexample, relationships between users and relying parties, types ofrelying parties involved in interactions with users, applicationprocesses implemented by relying parties, privacy requirements, etc.

The system 100 generally includes an identity network 102 and a relyingparty 104, each of which is coupled to (and is in communication with)one or more networks. The network(s) is/are indicated generally byarrowed lines in FIG. 1, and may each include one or more of, withoutlimitation, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) (e.g.,the Internet, etc.), a mobile network, a virtual network, and/or anothersuitable public and/or private network capable of supportingcommunication among two or more of the parts illustrated in FIG. 1, orany combination thereof.

The identity network 102 is configured as a resource for identityverification, and to provide one or more services in connection withverifying identifies. In connection therewith in the system 100, therelying party 104 is configured to request identity verification fromthe identity network 102, based on its interactions with users, wherebythe identity network 102 is configured to provide an assessment of auser's identity (e.g., an assessment metric for such identity, etc.),consistent with the description below. The identity network 102 mayinclude a standalone service and/or entity. Additionally, oralternately, the identity network 102 may be incorporated, in whole orin part, with another entity in the system 100, such as, for example, apayment network or a banking institution, etc. Specifically, forexample, in one embodiment, the identity network 102 may be incorporatedinto the Mastercard® payment network.

The relying party 104 may include any entity that relies on an identityof a user in order to conduct business and/or interact with the user. Asan example, the relying party 104 may include a banking institution,which offers accounts such as credit accounts (e.g., credit cards,etc.), checking accounts, savings accounts, etc., individually or inconnection with a purchase by a user at the institution (whereby therelying party 104 may instead be a merchant, etc.). In another example,the relying party 104 may include a telecommunication provider offeringtelecommunication services (e.g., cellular phone services, Internetservices, television services, etc.). In yet another example, therelying party 104 may include a merchant extending credit to a user,such as, for example, an automobile sales merchant, or an insurancemerchant, etc. And, in a still further example, the relying party 104may include a social network, email provider, or other online host, inwhich a user is permitted to enroll for an account (e.g., a socialnetwork account or profile, an email account, etc.) to participate ininteractions on a network provided by the relying party 104. Regardlessof the type of the relying party 104, though, it should be appreciatedthat the relying party 104 has an interest in verifying the identity ofa user with which the relying party 104 is interacting, in connectionwith or prior to proceed in the interaction. A failure by the relyingparty 104 to properly identify the user may result in, among otherthings, financial loss to the relying party 104 and/or the user, loss ofreputation, targeting by fraudsters, etc.

The system 100 also includes a user 106 having an identity, i.e., a realidentity, and a user 108, which has a real identity but is alsoassociated with, as far as the description herein relates, a syntheticidentity (or multiple synthetic identities). And, the synthetic identityof the user 108 includes at least one attribute of the identity of theuser 106. In addition, the user 108 is associated with a communicationdevice 110, which may include, for example, a smartphone, tablet, laptopcomputer, server, etc. In general, the user 108 may use thecommunication device 110 to initiate interactions with other parties,such as the relying party 104, etc. The communication device isassociated with a unique ID, such as, for example, a MAC address, an IPaddress, an electronic identification number (EIN), a unique device ID(UDID), etc.

The real identity of the user 106 indicates and/or includes (withoutlimitation) one or more attributes of the user 106, including a name, anaddress, a birthdate, a place of birth, a phone number, an emailaddress, a social security number or other government identification(ID) number, an employee ID number, etc. The user's real identity may beevidenced by a number of physical documents and/or devices, all of whichmay be used alone, or in combination, as described herein. For example,such physical documents may include a birth certificate; a passport; adriver's license issued by a state, regional, or federal government (orother government issued ID); a government identification card; a socialsecurity card; a health insurance card; a bank statement; an employee IDcard; a library card; a utility bill; etc. Conversely, as indicatedabove, the synthetic identity of the user 108 includes at least oneattribute of the real identity of the user 106 and at least one fakeattribute, which is not included in the real identity of the user 106.In this exemplary embodiment, for example, the synthetic identity of theuser 108 includes a government ID number of the user 106, but afictitious name and a mailing address associated with a Post Office boxof the user 108 (where neither the name nor the mailing address isassociated with the user 106). Further, in this exemplary embodiment,the user 108 has used the synthetic identity over a period of months oryears, whereby the synthetic identity includes a history showing one ormore accounts associated therewith, activities linked thereto, on-timepayments, etc. by the user 108 (or others) using the synthetic identity.

In the exemplary embodiment herein, the user 108 may be referred to as afraudster, whereby the user 108 will attempt to leverage the syntheticidentity to interact with the relying party 104 in order to open anaccount, secure a loan, receive an extension of credit, etc. Inconnection with an attempted fraud instance, the user 108 may interactwith the relying party 104, via the communication device 110 and one ormore interfaces provided by the relying party 104. Specifically, forexample, the user 108 may access a website associated with the relyingparty 104, via the communication device 110, in order to apply for a newaccount through one or more application interfaces of the website. In sodoing, the user 108 accesses the application and proceeds to respond toquestions in the application interface(s) with data included in thesynthetic identity of the user 108. The application interface(s) mayinclude several fields, which are required or not, and will oftensolicit the details to the identity of the user 108, i.e., the syntheticidentity. In connection therewith, the relying party 104 is configuredto capture the identity data provided by the user 108, data specific tothe communication device 110 being used to provide the data (e.g., theMAC address, the UDID, the EIN, the IP address, etc.), and also featuredata for the user's activities at and/or interactions with the websiteinterface(s) (e.g., optional fields being skipped, speed of responses,transitions from field to field (e.g., tab or click, etc.), sequence ofmovement through the fields, etc.). Together, the received/captured datais associated with the application of the user 108 for the account andis stored in memory associated with the relying party 104.

While the above is described with respect to a web site of the relyingparty 104, it should be appreciated that other network-basedinteractions may be provided for between the user 108 and the relyingparty 104, such as through a network-based application associated withthe relying party 104 installed and active at the user's communicationdevice 110 (or otherwise), whereby the same data may be gathered and/orcaptured by the relying party 104 via the interactions of the user 108with the application.

When the account request (or application) is completed by the user 108,or submitted, the relying party 104 is configured to seek a verificationof the identity of the user 108 from the identity network 102. Therelying party 104 may also be configured to employ one or moreverification procedures internally, but is still configured to requestan assessment of the validity of the identity of the user 108 from theidentity network 102. In connection therewith, the relying party 104 isconfigured to transmit a request including at least a portion of theidentity data received from the user 108, the feature data associatedwith the user 108 interacting with the application provided by therelying party 104, and the device ID for the user's communication device110 (as received from the user 108 during the account request process).

In turn, the identity network 102 is configured to parse the data fromthe request received from the relying party 104 and store the identitydata, the feature data, and the device ID for the user 108 in memory(e.g., together in one or more data structures associated with theidentity network 102, separately in one or more data structuresassociated with the identity network 102 to thereby facilitate access tothe appropriate data by scoring engines 112-118, etc.). The identitynetwork is then configured to generate an assessment metric for theidentity presented by the user 108 to the relying party 104.Specifically, in this exemplary embodiment, the identity network 102includes four separate scoring engines 112-118, which each calculate aparticular score relating to the presented identity. The scoring engine112 is configured to generate a device behavior score based, at least inpart, on the feature data and the device ID received from the relyingparty 104. The scoring engine 114 is configured to generate a userprofile score based on the instant and historical applications of theprovided identity. The scoring engine 116 is configured to generate afraud profile score based on instances of identified fraud involving theprovided identity. And, the scoring engine 118 is configured to generatean exposure score based on presence of the identity, or part thereof, onnefarious networks and/or a reputation and tenure of the identity orparts thereof, etc.

Then, once the separate scores are generated by the scoring engines112-118, the identity network 102 is configured to aggregate the scores,either weighted or not, into the assessment metric and to transmit theassessment metric to the relying party 104. In response, the relyingparty 104 is configured to rely on the assessment metric in decidingwhether to continue in the interaction with the user 108, or not (e.g.,based on comparison to a threshold, etc.).

While only one identity network 102, one relying party 104, one user106, one fraudster user 108 (and one synthetic identity), and onecommunication device 110 are illustrated in FIG. 1, it should beappreciated that any number of these entities (and their associatedcomponents), and any number of the different types of users, may beincluded in the system 100, or may be included as a part of systems inother embodiments, consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary computing device 200 that can be used inthe system 100 of FIG. 1. The computing device 200 may include, forexample, one or more servers, workstations, personal computers, laptops,tablets, smartphones, etc. In addition, the computing device 200 mayinclude a single computing device, or it may include multiple computingdevices located in close proximity or distributed over a geographicregion, so long as the computing devices are specifically configured tofunction as described herein. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, theidentity network 102 (and each of the engines 112-118 associatedtherewith), the relying party 104, and the communication device 110 mayeach be included in and/or may each be implemented in a computingdevice, consistent with and/or similar to the computing device 200,coupled to (and in communication with) one or more networks. However,the system 100 should not be considered to be limited to the computingdevice 200, as described below, as different computing devices and/orarrangements of computing devices may be used in other embodiments. Inaddition, different components and/or arrangements of components may beused in other computing devices.

Referring to FIG. 2, the exemplary computing device 200 includes aprocessor 202 and a memory 204 coupled to (and in communication with)the processor 202. The processor 202 may include one or more processingunits (e.g., in a multi-core configuration, etc.). For example, theprocessor 202 may include, without limitation, a central processing unit(CPU), a microcontroller, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), aprogrammable logic device (PLD), a gate array, and/or any other circuitor processor capable of the functions described herein.

The memory 204, as described herein, is one or more devices that permitdata, instructions, etc., to be stored therein and retrieved therefrom.The memory 204 may include one or more computer-readable storage media,such as, without limitation, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), staticrandom access memory (SRAM), read only memory (ROM), erasableprogrammable read only memory (EPROM), solid state devices, flashdrives, CD-ROMs, thumb drives, floppy disks, tapes, hard disks, and/orany other type of volatile or nonvolatile physical or tangiblecomputer-readable media. The memory 204 may be configured to store,without limitation, identity data for users, feature data for users,device IDs for different devices associated with users, attributes ofidentities, histories of identities, images of documents associated withidentities, identity scores, identity assessment metrics, and/or othertypes of data (and/or data structures) suitable for use as describedherein.

Furthermore, in various embodiments, computer-executable instructionsmay be stored in the memory 204 for execution by the processor 202 tocause the processor 202 to perform one or more of the operationsdescribed herein (e.g., one or more of the operations described inmethod 300, etc.), such that the memory 204 is a physical, tangible, andnon-transitory computer readable storage media. Such instructions oftenimprove the efficiencies and/or performance of the processor 202 and/orother computer system components configured to perform one or more ofthe various operations herein, whereby the instructions effectivelytransform the computing device 200 into a special purpose deviceconfigured to perform the unique and specific operations describedherein. It should be appreciated that the memory 204 may include avariety of different memories, each implemented in one or more of theoperations or processes described herein.

In the exemplary embodiment, the computing device 200 also includes apresentation unit 206 that is coupled to (and is in communication with)the processor 202 (however, it should be appreciated that the computingdevice 200 could include output devices other than the presentation unit206, etc.). The presentation unit 206 outputs information (e.g.,synthetic identity assessment metrics, etc.), visually or audibly, forexample, to a user of the computing device 200 (e.g., a user associatedwith the relying party 104, etc.), etc. And, various interfaces (e.g.,as defined by one or more websites, etc.) (e.g., including instructionsto capture attributes of a user's identity, etc.) may be displayed atcomputing device 200, and in particular at presentation unit 206, todisplay certain information to the user of the device. The presentationunit 206 may include, without limitation, a liquid crystal display(LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED)display, an “electronic ink” display, speakers, etc. In someembodiments, presentation unit 206 may include multiple devices.

In addition, the computing device 200 includes an input device 208 thatreceives inputs from the user (i.e., user inputs) of the computingdevice 200 such as, for example, requests for fraud scoring, requestsfor accounts from the user 108, etc., in response to prompts from anetwork based application, website, etc., as further described below.The input device 208 may include a single input device or multiple inputdevices. The input device 208 is coupled to (and is in communicationwith) the processor 202 and may include, for example, one or more of akeyboard, a pointing device, a mouse, a stylus, a camera, a biometricreader (e.g., a fingerprint scanner, etc.), a touch sensitive panel(e.g., a touch pad or a touch screen, etc.), another computing device,and/or an audio input device. In various exemplary embodiments, a touchscreen, such as that included in a tablet, a smartphone, or similardevice, may behave as both the presentation unit 206 and an input device208.

Further, the illustrated computing device 200 also includes a networkinterface 210 coupled to (and in communication with) the processor 202and the memory 204. The network interface 210 may include, withoutlimitation, a wired network adapter, a wireless network adapter (e.g.,an NFC adapter, a radio-frequency (RF) adapter, a mobile networkadapter, etc.), or other device capable of communicating to one or moredifferent ones of the networks herein and/or with other devicesdescribed herein. In some exemplary embodiments, the computing device200 may include at least one processor (e.g., the processor 202, etc.),at least one memory (e.g., the memory 204, etc.), and/or one or morenetwork interfaces (e.g., network interface 210, etc.) included in, orincorporated into or with the at least one processor.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary method 300 for use in determining anassessment metric for an identity presented, for example, by a user to arelying party, where the metric is indicative of the likelihood (or not)that the identity is a synthetic identity. The exemplary method 300 isdescribed as implemented in the identity network 102 of the system 100.And, reference is also made to the computing device 200. However, themethods herein should not be understood to be limited to the system 100or the computing device 200, as the methods may be implemented in othersystems and/or computing devices. Likewise, the systems and thecomputing devices herein should not be understood to be limited to theexemplary method 300.

In the method 300, it should be understood, as described above, that theuser 108 is a fraudster and has built a synthetic identity including atleast one attribute of the identity of the user 106 over a period ofweeks, months or years. In particular, as used herein, the syntheticidentity includes a social security number of the user 106, a fictitiousname, and a mailing address associated with a physical location but notthe residence of the user 106, etc. In addition, the user 108 hasapplied for multiple accounts, with the synthetic identity, and hasprovided limited repayment on credit or loans from the accounts, but, ingeneral, no loans are delinquent (such that an account and paymenthistory exists for the synthetic identity). Among the multiple existingaccounts, specifically, the user 108 has applied for one loan with therelying party 104 on a prior date (e.g., for a credit account, etc.) andthree loans with other relying parties (not shown) on prior dates (e.g.,for an automobile loan, and for credit accounts, etc.), all over thelast fourteen months and with each application facilitated through thecommunication device 110. Additionally, for each of the priorapplications, the relying party 104 and the other relying parties allutilized the identity network 102, on the prior dates, to verify theprovided synthetic identity, whereby the loan history for the syntheticidentity is stored in memory of the identity network 102 and associatedwith the fictitious name, mailing address and/or social security numberof the synthetic identity.

The user 108 now desires to open another account with the relying party104, and in so doing accesses a website provided from the relying party104, via the communication device 110, and selects to apply for a creditaccount. In response, the relying party 104, via the website, causes oneor more application interfaces to be displayed to the user 108 at thecommunication device 110. The interface(s) solicits, in differentfields, a name, a mailing address, a phone number, an email address, asocial security number, an annual income, a birth date*, a mother'smaiden name*, a driver's license number*, a state of issuance*, bankingreferences*, and other suitable data, where the * indicates thatsupplying data to those fields is optional. In this example, the user108 fills in data from the synthetic identity into the fields by pastingthe data and moving field to field by tabbing between the fields insuccession, but only filling in the required fields of the applicationinterface(s). The user 108 then selects a button at the bottom of theinterface(s) to submit the application for the credit account to therelying party 104.

In connection therewith, the relying party 104 captures the identitydata provided from the user 108 in the required fields, along withfeature data about the interaction of the user 108 with theinterface(s), and a MAC address of the communication device 110. In thisexemplary embodiment, the feature data includes a generally quick rateof progression or cadence by the user 108 in completing the interface(s)(or in moving from field to field in the interface(s), etc.) (e.g., asmeasured in seconds, minutes, etc.), the fact that optional fields wereleft blank, the fact that the user 108 filled in the fields insuccession (i.e., did not return to a prior field), and the fact thatthe user 108 pasted data into the fields and tabbed from field to field(broadly, a method of moving in or through the interface(s)) withouterrors in entering the data, etc. The feature data described herein mayalso be referred to as application intelligence data, gathered by therelying party 104. It should be appreciated that other data may also begathered by the relying party 104 based on the interaction(s) of theuser 108 with the relying party 104 and/or its interface(s) (e.g., atime taken by the user 108 to complete the credit account application,etc.).

Upon receiving the completed application from the user 108, the relyingparty 104 submits a request for an assessment metric to the identitynetwork 102 for the identity received from the user 108. The requestincludes, without limitation, the identity data for the syntheticidentity as submitted by the user 108 (or a part thereof), the featuredata obtained (or generated) by the relying party 104 for the user 108in preparing the application, and the MAC address (or other device ID,as applicable) for the communication device 110 through which the user108 submitted the application, etc.

With reference to FIG. 3, in now applying the features of the presentdisclosure to the request, the identity network 102 initially receivesthe request for the assessment metric from the relying party, at 302,and calculates the assessment metric for the identity, at 304, where themetric is indicative of a likelihood that the identity provided by theuser 108 is a synthetic identity (or not). In this exemplary embodiment,the calculation of the assessment metric (at 304) is separated intomultiple sub-operations in which multiple different scores are generated(or calculated), each including and/or utilizing varying combinations ofdata and each calculated by a different one of the scoring engines112-118.

Specifically in the method 300, the scoring engine 112 retrieves, at306, the feature data and the device ID from memory (e.g., the memory204, etc.) of the identity network 102 (or, alternatively, receives, at306, the feature data from the request for the interactions between theuser 108 and the application interface(s) of the relying party 104, aswell as the device ID for the user's communication device 110). Thefeature data includes, as explained above, a rate or cadence ofcompleting the application interface(s), a movement between fields ofthe interface(s), a progression through the interface(s) (e.g., amovement from field to field, or circling back to prior fields (e.g.,indicative of bot activity, etc.), etc.), auto-complete or cut-and-pasteentry of data into the fields (e.g., indicative of a user providingresponses who is not familiar with the data being provided, etc.), anomission of optional fields and error incidence rate in providing datato the fields (e.g., higher error incidence rates may indicate a usernot familiar with the data being provided, etc.), a time to complete theapplication, etc.

The feature data is then reduced, by the scoring engine 112, to abehavioral numeric value based on a gradient boosting technique, where agenerally high value indicates a synthetic identity and a generally lowvalue indicates a real identity. For instance, the numeric value may beprovided by the scoring engine 112 on a scale of 0 to 1000, where ascore of 800 or above may indicate a high risk that the providedidentity is a synthetic identity and a score of 400 or below mayindicate a low risk of such. In this embodiment, the feature data isreduced to a generally low numeric value (e.g., 400 or below, etc.),indicating that the identity received from the user 108 is a realidentity. In connection therewith, in the above example, the featuredata captured for the user 108 includes a generally quick rate or timeof progression or cadence by the user 108 in completing the interface(s)and the overall application (e.g., about five minutes, etc.), anindication that optional fields were left blank, an indication that thefields were filled in succession, an indication that data was pastedinto fields, and an indication that movement was by tab between fields,all of which reduces (when considered together) to a generally lowbehavioral numeric value for the feature data in this example.

In addition, the device ID (e.g., the MAC address in this example, etc.)of the communication device 110, as captured by the relying party 104and as transmitted to the identity network 102, is used, by the scoringengine 112, to generate a device ID numeric value. For instance, thisnumeric value may again be provided by the scoring engine 112 on a scaleof 0 to 1000, where a score of 900 or above may indicate a high riskthat the provided identity is a synthetic identity and a score of 500 orbelow may indicate a low risk of such. When the device ID is associatedwith other attempts to interact with the relying party 104 or withattempts to interact with a different relying party (not shown), usingthe same identity (as recognized based on prior verification requestsstored in memory of the identity network 102), it is reduced to anumerical score indicative of a real identity (because all applicationrequests using the identity appear to originate from the samecommunication device 110). In this example, as indicated above, the MACaddress for the same communication device 110 is associated with fourprior applications associated with the synthetic identity. As such, inthis case, the numeric value for the user's device ID will be generallyless than 500, since all applications originated from the samecommunication device 110 and all involve the same presented identity.Conversely, when the device ID of the communication device 110 isassociated with other attempts to interact with the relying party 104,or with a different relying party (not shown), each using a differentidentity, the scoring engine 112 generates a numerical value, based onthe device ID, indicative of a synthetic identity (e.g., a value above800, above 900, etc. since multiple different identities are tied to thesame device 110; etc.).

The scoring engine 112 then calculates, at 308, a device behavior scorefor the provided identity (e.g., again on a scale of 0 to 1000, etc.)based on the discrete numeric values generated for the feature data andthe device ID, through use of machine learning techniques, such as, forexample, gradient boosting, etc. In connection therewith, the devicebehavior score is a dynamic score based on data elements tied to each ofthe discrete numeric values relating to the feature data for the user108 and the device ID data for the user's communication device 110. Forinstance, if a lot of data elements tied to the user's interaction withthe interface(s) associated with preparing the application for thecredit account are unusual (e.g., tabbing between data fields, pastingall responses, high error incidence rate, etc.), then the behavioralnumeric value will have more weight in the behavior score as compared tothe device ID numeric value, and vice versa (e.g., the device ID numericvalue may have more weight in scenarios where several differentidentities are associated with the same device ID, etc.). Importantly,the device behavior score, taking into account the different discretenumeric values generated above, is not a static breakdown between thevalues. In any case, in the above example, the two generally low numericvalues for the feature data and the device ID will result in a generallylow value for the device behavior score for the user 108.

Next, or at the same time, or prior (again, in response to the requestfrom the relying party 104), the scoring engine 114 retrieves, at 310,user profile data for the user 108 from memory (e.g., the memory 204,etc.) of the identity network 102, based on at least one attribute ofthe provided identity, such as, for example the name or mailing addressincluded in the provided identity, the social security number includedin the provided identity, etc. (or, alternatively, receives, at 310,such data from the request). The user profile data generally includesprior data associated with the attribute (and potentially prior dataassociated with other attributes) and stored at the identity network102, for example, in connection with prior verification requestsreceived by the identity network with regard to the identity provided bythe user 108. Specifically, as indicated above, the user profile datamay include a history of account applications associated with theprovided identity (e.g., indicative of velocity of such applications,the type of the applications (e.g., applications for credit accounts,automobile loans, mobile phone subscriptions, etc.), and coverage ofapplications, etc.). In this example, as explained above, the user 108,through the synthetic identity, has applied for four prioraccounts/loans over the past fourteen months, with one related to anautomobile and the remainder for different credit accounts.

Once the user profile data is retrieved by the identity network 102, itis combined with the identity data included in the instant applicationrequest received from the relying party 104. And, the scoring engine 114then calculates, at 312, based on a logistic regression, for example, auser profile score for the identity (e.g., again on a scale of 0 to1000, etc.). For instance, if a velocity (e.g., a total number, etc.) offinancial services applications tied to the identity (e.g., creditapplications, loan applications, mortgage applications, etc.) is veryhigh in a short period of time (e.g., within a given time interval,etc.) and the credit score tied to the identity does not have anytenure, then the scoring engine 114 may generate a score well above 800or 900 (on the scale of 0 to 1000), which represents a high risk case.In the above example, the scoring engine 114 determines that the user108, through the synthetic identity, has applied for the four prioraccounts/loans over the past fourteen months, with a credit score tiedto the identity for only the same fourteen months, thereby resulting ina generally high user profile score for the identity.

At 314, again in response to the request from the relying party 104 (andeither, before, at the same time, or after operations 306-312 or318-320), the scoring engine 116 retrieves fraud profiles from memory(e.g., the memory 204, etc.) of the identity network 102 (or,alternatively, receives, at 314, such fraud profiles). The fraudprofiles include confirmed fraud instances in general, along with theattributes of the identity presented in connection with the fraudinstances (e.g., whereby the attributes from the fraud profiles may becompared to the attributes of the identity provided by the user 108,etc.). The scoring engine 116 then calculates, at 316, a fraud profilescore (e.g., again on a scale of 0 to 1000, etc.) for the identity, forexample, based on an alternating decision model that takes into accountthe retrieved prior fraud profiles. For instance, if one or more of theidentity attributes (e.g., account numbers, etc.) tied to theapplications or financial transactions found in previous confirmed casesof fraud or loss match those associated with the identity provided bythe user 108 (e.g., based on profile data for the identity as stored atthe identity provider 102, etc.), then the scoring engine 116 willgenerate a relatively high fraud profile score (e.g., 800 or 900 orhigher on the scale of 0 to 1000, etc.). In so doing, the magnitude ofthe fraud profile score may be dependent on the particular identityattributes that match those of the previous confirmed cases of fraud orloss, and the types of the previously confirmed cases of fraud or lossevaluated. In one example, the fraud profile score may be based on ananalysis of previously confirmed cases of fraud or loss relating to thesame service for which the user 108 is applying (e.g., prior creditapplication cases, etc.) and may be based on matching personal identityattributes (e.g., a name, an address, an account number, etc.). In theabove example, the scoring engine 116 may determine that multipleattributes from the identity provided by the user 108 are included inprevious confirmed cases of fraud (e.g., the social security number, theemail address, etc.), thereby resulting in a generally high fraudprofile score for the identity.

Finally, again in response to the request from the relying party 104(and either, before, at the same time, or after operations 306-316), thescoring engine 118 retrieves, at 318, exposure data related to theidentity provided by the user 108 (or, alternatively, receives, at 318,such data from the request). The exposure data may include, for example,results of a search of nefarious websites and/or domains (e.g., the darkweb, etc.) for a government ID number, employee ID number, emailaddress, phone number, etc. included in the request. When the address ornumber is found, the search is reduced to a numeric value (e.g., atoperation 320 below, etc.) indicative of a high likelihood of theidentity being a synthetic identity. The exposure data may also includereputation and tenure data related to the identity presented by the user108. Such additional data may include, for example, a length of time ata given physical mailing address, as retrieved from the U.S. Post Office(USPS) or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), or such additionaldata may include a longevity and reputation of a mobile phone number,contract, or email address with a mobile network operator (MNO), etc.For instance, the social security number of the identity provided by theuser 108 may be identified in a search of the dark web, and the mailingaddress associated with the identity may be active and recognized by theUSPS for fourteen months. Similarly, the phone number associated withthe identity provided by the user 108 may be recognized in data from theMNO associated therewith for eighteen months with no suspiciousactivity.

Then, based on the retrieved exposure data, the scoring engine 118calculates, at 320, an exposure behavior score for the identitypresented by the user 108, for example, based on an incremental decisiontree that accommodates the large number of data elements accounted forby the scoring engine 118 (e.g., again on a scale of 0 to 1000, etc.).In doing so, the scoring engine 118 may apply higher weights to certaindata when it is found on nefarious websites and/or domains (e.g., socialsecurity numbers, account numbers, etc.) than other data (e.g., emailaddresses, etc.). As a result, in the above example, the scoring engine118 may determine a generally high exposure behavior score for theidentity (e.g., above 700 or 800, etc.) (e.g., because the socialsecurity number of the identity provided by the user 108 may beidentified in a search of the dark web, and because the mailing addressassociated with the identity is active and recognized by the USPS foronly fourteen months and the phone number associated with the identityprovided by the user 108 is recognized in data from the MNO associatedtherewith for only eighteen months; etc.).

In the above, in retrieving the various different data and calculatingthe corresponding scores (at 306-320), the scoring engines 112-118(e.g., a processor associated therewith, etc.) may retrieve theparticular data from the request, or the identity network 102 (e.g., aprocessor associated therewith, etc.) may extract the particular datafrom the request and transmit it to the scoring engine 112.

Then in the method 300, once the scores from the different scoringengines 112-118 are generated, the identity network 102 aggregates thescores, at 322, into the assessment metric (e.g., again on a scale of 0to 1000, etc.). The scores may be aggregated into the assessment metricby simply averaging the scores, adding the scores, etc. What's more, theindividual scores may be weighted in the aggregation, such that thedevice behavior score may have more impact on the assessment metric thanthe user profile score. It should be appreciated that the weighting ofthe different scores may vary depending on the identity network 102, therelying party 104 or even the identity being presented by the user 108.For instance, in the above example, the scoring engines 114 and 118 maygenerate a generally high score based on an application velocity by theuser 108 being high and a lack of reputation/tenure for the identityattributes provided by the user 108.

And, following the aggregation, the assessment metric is transmitted, bythe identity network 102, at 324, to the relying party 104. Thereafter,the relying party 104 receives the assessment metric, evaluates theassessment metric (e.g., against a threshold, etc.), and may rely on theassessment metric to proceed in opening the credit account for the user108, or not. For instance, the relying party 104 may compare theassessment metric to a threshold and decline further interaction withthe user 108 if the assessment metric fails to satisfy the threshold(e.g., decline any transaction or application if the assessment metricis less than 800, etc.). Additionally, or alternatively, the relyingparty 104 may compare the assessment metric to multiple thresholds, andagain decline further interaction with the user 108 if the assessmentmetric fails to satisfy a first threshold (e.g., decline any transactionor application if the assessment metric is less than 800, etc.) butimplement additional security if the assessment metric is within asecond threshold (e.g., implement the additional security if theassessment metric is between 600 and 800, etc.).

In view of the above, the systems and methods herein uniquely providefor proactive monitoring of synthetic identity fraud. In so doing,different levels of monitoring are utilized to generate an improvedmetric, in that additional data not previously utilized may now beaccounted for. In connection therewith, the systems and methods hereinpermit identification of synthetic identities based on various aspectsof the synthetic identities and presentment of the same. In particular,when a user presents an identity to a relying party in connection with anetwork communication to the relying party (e.g., in connection with anonline application for an account at the relying party, etc.), certaindata is gathered about the application process by the relying party(e.g., feature data, etc.) and is provided, along with identity datareceived from the user (as part of filling out the application), in arequest from the relying party to an identity network. The identitynetwork, in turn, generates an assessment metric for the user and thepresented identity, based on the received data, which is indicative of alikelihood that the identity is a synthetic identity (or not).Specifically, as provided herein, the assessment metric is the aggregateof one or more of a device behavior score, a user profile score, a fraudprofile score, and/or an exposure score. The identity network thentransmits, in response to the request, the assessment metric for theidentity to the relying party, whereupon the relying party is able toassess the identity of the user based on the metric. In this manner, therelying party is provided with an assessment of the identity presentedby the user sufficient to either assume the risk of interacting with theuser, or to terminate the interaction or require further verification ofthe user's identity.

Again and as previously described, it should be appreciated that thefunctions described herein, in some embodiments, may be described incomputer executable instructions stored on a computer readable media,and executable by one or more processors. The computer readable media isa non-transitory computer readable storage medium. By way of example,and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM,EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used tocarry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or datastructures and that can be accessed by a computer. Combinations of theabove should also be included within the scope of computer-readablemedia.

It should also be appreciated that one or more aspects of the presentdisclosure transform a general-purpose computing device into aspecial-purpose computing device when configured to perform thefunctions, methods, and/or processes described herein.

As will be appreciated based on the foregoing specification, theabove-described embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented usingcomputer programming or engineering techniques including computersoftware, firmware, hardware or any combination or subset thereof,wherein the technical effect may be achieved by performing at least oneof the following operations: (a) receiving, at a computing device, arequest from a relying party to assess validity of an identity indicatedby a user in a network communication between the user and the relyingparty, the request including identity data associated with the identityindicated by the user, feature data associated with submission of thenetwork communication by the user to the relying party, and a device IDfor a communication device associated with the user and used to submitthe network communication; (b) parsing the identity data, the featuredata, and the device ID from the request and storing the identity data,the feature data, and the device ID in a data structure; (c)calculating, by the computing device, an assessment metricrepresentative of the validity of the identity indicated by the user,the assessment metric based on at least one score derived from theidentity data, the feature data, and the device ID; (d) transmitting, bythe computing device, the assessment metric to the relying party,whereby the relying party utilizes the assessment metric to determinewhether or not to further interact with the user in connection with thenetwork communication; (e) calculating, by a first scoring engineassociated with the computing device, the device behavior score based onthe feature data and the device ID; (f) calculating, by a second scoringengine associated with the computing device, the user profile scorebased on the identity data; and (g) calculating, by a third scoringengine associated with the computing device, the fraud score based onthe identity data and a data structure of known fraud profiles.

Exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will bethorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled inthe art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples ofspecific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not beemployed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many differentforms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes,well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are notdescribed in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As usedherein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and“having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, butdo not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groupsthereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described hereinare not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance inthe particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specificallyidentified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood thatadditional or alternative steps may be employed.

When a feature is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connectedto,” “coupled to,” “associated with,” “included with,” or “incommunication with” another feature, it may be directly on, engaged,connected, coupled, associated, included, or in communication to or withthe other feature, or intervening features may be present. As usedherein, the term “and/or” and the phrase “at least one of” includes anyand all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein todescribe various features, these features should not be limited by theseterms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one feature fromanother. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms whenused herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated bythe context. Thus, a first feature discussed herein could be termed asecond feature without departing from the teachings of the exampleembodiments.

None of the elements recited in the claims are intended to be ameans-plus-function element within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f)unless an element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for,” orin the case of a method claim using the phrases “operation for” or “stepfor.”

The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or featuresof a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for use inidentifying synthetic identities in connection with networkcommunications, the method comprising: receiving, at a computing device,a request from a relying party to assess validity of an identityasserted by a user in a network communication between the user and therelying party, the request including: identity data associated with theidentity asserted by the user, feature data associated with submissionof the network communication by the user to the relying party, and adevice ID for a communication device associated with the user and usedto submit the network communication; parsing the identity data, thefeature data, and the device ID from the request and storing theidentity data, the feature data, and the device ID in a data structure;calculating, by the computing device, an assessment metricrepresentative of the validity of the identity asserted by the user, theassessment metric based on at least two of: a device behavior score, auser profile score, a fraud profile score and an exposure behaviorscore, wherein calculating the assessment metric includes aggregatingthe at least two of: the device behavior score, the user profile score,the fraud profile score and the exposure behavior score; andtransmitting, by the computing device, the assessment metric to therelying party, whereby the relying party utilizes the assessment metricto determine whether or not to further interact with the user inconnection with the network communication.
 2. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, wherein the assessment metric is based on each of thedevice behavior score, the user profile score, the fraud profile score,and the exposure behavior score; and wherein calculating the assessmentmetric includes aggregating, by the computing device, each of the devicebehavior score, the user profile score, the fraud profile score, and theexposure behavior score into the assessment metric.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the relying partyincludes a banking institution, and wherein the network communicationincludes an application for a new account with the relying party by theuser.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:calculating, by a first scoring engine associated with the computingdevice, the device behavior score based on the feature data and thedevice ID; calculating, by a second scoring engine associated with thecomputing device, the user profile score based on the identity data;and/or calculating, by a third scoring engine associated with thecomputing device, the fraud profile score based on the identity data anda data structure of known fraud profiles.
 5. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 4, further comprising calculating, by a fourth scoringengine associated with the computing device, the exposure behavior scorebased on a presence of at least a portion of the identity data on anefarious website.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4,further comprising: calculating, by the computing device, a behavioralnumeric value for the identity asserted by the user based on: a timerequired by the user to complete the application for the new account, anindication that optional ones of fields in the application where leftblank by the user, and an indication that data was pasted into one ormore of the fields in the application; calculating, by the computingdevice, a device ID numeric value for the communication deviceassociated with the user based on a number of applications previouslysubmitted by the user, via the communication device, for new accountsusing the identity asserted by the user in said network communication;and calculating the device behavior score based on an aggregation of thebehavioral numeric value and the device ID numeric value.
 7. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising calculating,by the computing device, the user profile score based on a number ofapplications submitted by the user over a time interval using theidentity asserted by the user in said network communication and aduration of a credit score tied to said identity.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising calculating,by the computing device, the fraud profile score based on a number ofidentity attributes of the identity asserted by the user in said networkcommunication included in previous confirmed cases of fraud.
 9. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the identity attributesinclude a name, an address, a birthdate, a place of birth, a phonenumber, an email address, and a social security number.
 10. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising calculating,by the computing device, the exposure behavior score based on a presenceof one or more identity attributes of the identity asserted by the userin said network communication in results of a search of one or morenefarious websites.
 11. A system for use in identifying syntheticidentities in connection with network communications, the systemcomprising an identity network computing device and multiple scoringengines associated with the identity network computing device; whereinthe identity network computing device is configured to: receive arequest from a relying party to assess validity of an identity indicatedby a user in a network communication between the user and the relyingparty, the request including: identity data associated with the identityindicated by the user, feature data associated with submission of thenetwork communication by the user to the relying party, and a device IDfor a communication device associated with the user and used to submitthe network communication; and parse the identity data, the featuredata, and the device ID from the request and store the identity data,the feature data, and the device ID in at least one data structure;wherein a first one of the multiple scoring engines is configured toretrieve the feature data and the device ID from the at least one datastructure and calculate a device behavior score based on the retrievedfeature data and the retrieved device ID; wherein a second one of themultiple scoring engines is configured to retrieve the identity datafrom the at least one data structure and calculate a user profile scorebased on the retrieved identity data; wherein a third one of themultiple scoring engines is configured to retrieve the identity datafrom the at least one data structure and calculate a fraud profile scorebased on the retrieved identity data and a data structure of known fraudprofiles; wherein a fourth one of the multiple scoring engines isconfigured to retrieve the identity data from the at least one datastructure and calculate an exposure behavior score based on a presenceof at least a portion of the retrieved identity data on a nefariouswebsite; and wherein the identity network computing device is furtherconfigured to: calculate an assessment metric based on an aggregation ofthe device behavior score, the user profile score, the fraud profilescore, and the exposure behavior score, wherein the assessment metric isrepresentative of the validity of the identity indicated by the user inthe network communication between the user and the relying party; andtransmit the assessment metric to the relying party, whereby the relyingparty utilizes the assessment metric to determine whether or not tofurther interact with the user in connection with the networkcommunication.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the relying partyincludes a banking institution, and wherein the network communicationincludes an application for a new account with the relying party by theuser.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first one of the multiplescoring engines is configured, in connection with calculating the devicebehavior score, to: calculate a behavioral numeric value for theidentity indicated by the user based on the retrieved feature data, theretrieved feature data including: a time required by the user tocomplete the application for the new account, an indication thatoptional ones of the fields in the application where left blank by theuser, and an indication that data was pasted into other ones of thefields in the application; calculate a device ID numeric value for thecommunication device associated with the user based on the retrieveddevice ID and further based on a number of applications previouslysubmitted by the user, via the communication device, for new accountsusing the identity indicated by the user in said network communication;and aggregate the behavioral numeric value and the device ID numericvalue to calculate the device behavior score.
 14. The system of claim11, wherein the retrieved identity data includes a number ofapplications submitted by the user over a time interval using theidentity indicated by the user in said network communication and aduration of a credit score tied to said identity; and wherein the secondone of the multiple scoring engines is configured, in connection withcalculating the user profile score, to calculate the user profile scorebased on the number of applications submitted by the user over the timeinterval using the identity indicated by the user in said networkcommunication and the duration of the credit score tied to saididentity.
 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the retrieved identitydata includes identity attributes of the identity indicated by the userin said network communication; and wherein the third one of the multiplescoring engines is configured, in connection with calculating the fraudprofile score, to calculate the fraud profile score based on a number ofthe identity attributes of the identity indicated by the user in saidnetwork communication included in previous confirmed cases of fraud. 16.The system of claim 11, wherein the retrieved identity data includesidentity attributes of the identity indicated by the user in saidnetwork communication; and wherein the fourth one of the multiplescoring engines is configured, in connection with calculating theexposure behavior score, to calculate the exposure behavior score basedon a presence of one or more of the identity attributes of the identityindicated by the user in said network communication being in results ofa search of one or more nefarious websites.
 17. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions foruse in identifying synthetic identities in connection with networkcommunications, which when executed by at least one processor, cause theat least one processor to: receive a request from a relying party toassess validity of an identity indicated by a user in a networkcommunication between the user and the relying party; calculate a devicebehavior score for the identity based on feature data included in therequest and a number of applications previously submitted by the user,via a communication device used to submit the network communication, fornew accounts using the identity indicated by the user in said networkcommunication, the feature data including: a time required by the userto complete the application for the new account, an indication thatoptional ones of fields in the application where left blank by the user,and an indication that data was pasted into other ones of the fields inthe application; calculate a user profile score based on the number ofapplications previously submitted by the user for new accounts usingsaid identity and a duration of a credit score tied to said identity;calculate a fraud profile score based on a number of identity attributesof the identity indicated by the user in said network communicationincluded in previous confirmed cases of fraud; calculate an exposurebehavior score based on a presence of one or more of the identityattributes of the identity indicated by the user in said networkcommunication being in results of a search of one or more nefarious websites; calculate an assessment metric based on the device behaviorscore, the user profile score, the fraud profile score, and the exposurebehavior score, wherein the assessment metric is representative of thevalidity of the identity indicated by the user in the networkcommunication between the user and the relying party; and transmit theassessment metric to the relying party, whereby the relying partyutilizes the assessment metric to determine whether or not to furtherinteract with the user in connection with the network communication. 18.The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, whereinthe identity attributes include a name, an address, a birthdate, a placeof birth, a phone number, an email address, and a social securitynumber.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim17, wherein the relying party includes a banking institution, andwherein the network communication includes an application for a newaccount with the relying party by the user.